CH 112

“As an apology, I will grant land to Miss Vellista.”

“Something like that…”

“I don’t need that.”

Even though Zagnac, who was angry, opened his mouth at the emperor’s sly invitation, Azela responded sternly before that. The Emperor, as well as Zagnac, Chises, and Livia, all looked at her at the voice that was so determined.

“If you want to show an apology, the Crown Prince should apologize directly to me.”

“…What?”

Chises look puzzled.

While he was about to cry out, he shut his mouth, unable to withstand the unspoken pressure from Zagnac, who was giving murderous energy by Azela’s side. He was also waiting for the Emperor to finish the matter at this point.

Apologizing to a single woman…? It was something he couldn’t have done. Still, there was nothing he could do in this situation.

“…… forgive me.”

In the end, he handed over the apology in a low voice. As soon as he gave an apology, the Emperor smiled and spoke to Azela.

“Are you satisfied? If you are not satisfied, I will make him apologize until you are satisfied.”

Of course, she couldn’t be satisfied. It was obvious what would have happened to her if Zagnac hadn’t come, but it was good that things stopped at this point. If the matter escalated, the fact that he had grabbed the Crown Prince and thrown him away had to be covered up.

Instead of answering the Emperor’s words, Azela sent a gaze to Zagnac, telling him to stop. Zagnac, who had been looking down at her without a word, finally let out a sigh at her urging.

“If something like this happens again.”

“To prevent that from happening, I will talk to the Crown Prince myself.”

“Nevertheless, if you touch my person again next time…”

As Zagnac glared at him, the Emperor smiled smirkingly. Nonetheless, the Emperor was not at all frightened by his momentum and stood up to him head-on as Zagnac’s words continued.

“…At that time, the Imperial Palace won’t be fine.”

“What do you mean by won’t be fine?”

“Well. The line of the Imperial Family could be cut off, and this Imperial Palace could be stained with blood.”

Hearing Zagnac’s words, Azela opened her mouth wide and gazed at him.

…Crazy. Wasn’t this a declaration of war against the Imperial Family?

Moreover, if what he was saying was misinterpreted, it would cause treason. At this moment, even if the Emperor declared Zagnac a traitor and cut his throat, there would be nothing to say. It was absolutely not something a mere duke could say to the Emperor.

If the Duke, who was really human, had spit out these words to the Emperor, he would have died immediately.

“I see.”

But surprisingly, the Emperor was calm.

Azela had to be stunned once again by the unconcerned appearance. In the situation where it wouldn’t be strange even if he killed Zagnac, he just said, ‘that’s right’? She thought that the Emperor was really not normal, too.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

The Emperor, who said so, raised his hand and signaled that it was okay for him to go back, and Zagnac snorted before taking her and turned around.

Could they really go back like this…?

She even wondered how the Emperor let go of them so casually, even though there were tremendous words had been said.

As she followed his steps, Azela turned her head. There was no longer a smile on the Emperor’s face.

“….!”

He was glaring at her and Zagnac with a look more like a beast than any other face she had ever seen, with a distorted expression full of anger. She could feel it. Zagnac was now an ‘enemy’ to the Emperor… an enemy to be killed.

Until now, he had thought that Zagnac might marry Princess Livia, but not anymore. Because of that, Zagnac was now regarded as an enemy to be killed, with no need to appease.

Azela drew her hand around her waist and involuntarily touched her sword.

* * *

It was silent in the carriage back to the mansion. Zagnac still had a stiff face, as if his anger hadn’t gone away so she glanced at him silently. Looking out of the window and cooling the heat in the wind, he felt Azela’s gaze at him and turned his head.

“Why are your hair and clothes so wet?”

Azela let out a small exclamation at his question and bowed her head. It was dry, but her hair, which had been wet, was tangled in patches. She replied as she touched her sticky hair.

“Sylvia.”

It was a short word, but the answer was sufficient. Zagnac nodded his head as if everything was explained by Sylvia’s name alone. However, his face was more stern than before.

Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand to wipe her face.

“I shouldn’t have come. You went through too much.”

“I’m fine. It’s not something I can avoid every time, so I have to face it.”

Seeing her speak in a soft voice, Zagnac, who was hiding his face, lowered his hand and stared at her quietly.

“Even your nonchalant attitude makes me very angry. Why are you so nonchalant?”

“Then, why are you so angry? It’s my problem, so it’s okay. There is no need to be so angry.”

“I… I…”

He stuttered at Azela’s question. Zagnac, unable to continue what he said, let out a deep breath.

“…I do not know either. Why am I doing this?”

As he raised his hand and squeezed his left chest tightly, his face was still distorted with anger, but in the meantime, he wondered why he couldn’t understand why he was doing this. At the same time, Azela watched the scene quietly.

Yes, she knew it. She thought he must be unaware of his feelings.

“Why am I so angry?”

“….”

“I can’t control it. I’ve never been like this before.”

Muttering quietly, Zagnac wrinkled his brow and raised his hand to tousle his hair. He then clenched his fist with the other hand and uttered harshly.

“I’m going crazy wanting to kill someone right now.”

As the days go by, the time has come to suppress those feelings that grow in his heart. Azela sighed softly and closed her eyes. The thought of killing in his mind made her heart tingle. But for him, it was unavoidable.

Avoiding Zagnac’s gaze and clenching her fist, she eventually opened her eyes slowly with a determined look.

“Zagnac.”

“Yes.”

“Do you like me?”

He blinked at her question, and the anger on his face was completely gone. As Zagnac blinked and blankly looked at Azela, he looked like he had never thought about it.

“I….”

“Yes.”

“I like you?”

“Yes.”

He slowly pondered the question she had asked. His low muttered, ‘Nonsense,’ echoed through the narrow carriage.

Soon after, he frowned.

“It is impossible.”

“….”

“Love is a human emotion. It’s a feeling that only humans have.”

Yes, that’s right… Those feelings are human. I’m the devil, I’m not human.

Zagnac murmured softly. However, there was no certainty in the tone he spat out as he raised his trembling hand and covered his mouth. He might not know it, although his cheeks were stained red as he muttered that.

“Right?”

Azela’s voice was hollow, assuring Zagnac’s story.

It had to be. The more he cared for her, the more his heart grew, and the more he was hurt… Even in the same situation as before, it was a problem that he could usually just end with a smile and pass by while thinking of the position of the human Duke Ferial.

Still, he didn’t. As if he had forgotten that he was in human form, he almost revealed the devil’s side of him.

“Zagnac, there’s no way you will like me, right? It is human emotion.”

So it couldn’t be good for him, being the devil, to have these feelings. It was just a fleeting moment that had just passed by him.

Zagnac nodded his head softly. However, his expression was much more distorted than before.

“So, please refrain from such actions as before.”

“…What?”

“For humans, that’s what you do to someone you like. Other humans will get it wrong.”

“….”

He gave no answer.

Seeing the confused look, Azela rested her chin and turned her gaze out of the window. A cool breeze blew between them as her heart went cold.

* * *

“Do you like me?”

Late at night, Zagnac, unable to sleep, sat on the window sill and looked at the night sky.

Whenever he thought of what Azela had said to him in the carriage on the way back, his chest kept stinging like a thorn stuck in it. He made a confused grimace at the unknown feeling he was experiencing for the first time.

It wasn’t the first time he had made a contract with a human. Still, he didn’t know why he was feeling this way.

“Nonsense.”